News & Events
Year End Gift for KLT
The Board and staff of Kennebunk Land Trust are happy to announce the acquisition of a parcel of land on Tideview Terrace in Kennebunk. Bruce and Sally Blackman, long-time residents of Kennebunk, gifted this land to the Trust with the intent of protecting the parcel in perpetuity. Their generous donation expands the area of conserved land along the much-enjoyed Bridle Path. The Blackman’s gift, adjacent to Town-owned and Trust-owned properties, brings the total acreage in this cluster of open space to just over 16 acres, further enhancing wildlife habitat protection and the outdoor experience of residents and visitors to the area.
Thank you Sally and Bruce!
Happy New Year to all!
GoodSearch, GoodShop
Here's an easy way to raise money for Kennebunk Land Trust. Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and GoodSearch will donate a penny to Kennebunk Land Trust every time you do a search!
In addition, do all of your shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, where you can shop at more than 2,400 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to Kennebunk Land Trust. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to KLT!
Here's the web site — http://www.goodsearch.com. You can also read about GoodSearch in the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal.
Join the rest of the KLT community and use these sites to help KLT raise money for its mission. Get started by clicking the "Become a Supporter" button on our profile page on GoodShop.com (http://www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/kennebunk-land-trust.aspx)!
CLYNK For Kennebunk Land Trust
What is CLYNK? It is a quick and easy way to redeem bottles and cans.
How YOU can help support Kennebunk Land Trust with your returnables:
- Call Kennebunk Land Trust at 985-8734 to order bag tags and we’ll mail them off to you.
- Purchase at a minimal cost CLYNK bags at any Hannaford location. Bag it: fill the CLYNK bag with Maine redeemables. Tag it: adhere the Kennebunk Land Trust bag tag to the CLYNK bag. Drop it: drop the bag off at a CLYNK location in any participating Hannaford. Scan your bag tag at the CLYNK drop door, open the door, drop the CLYNK bag in, close and you are done.
- Your bottles and cans will be counted by CLYNK and credit will be applied to the Kennebunk Land Trust CLYNK account within 2 business days. No sorting, no messy clean-up, no hassles.
- CLYNK drop and go service is available during Hannaford store hours.
- Please do not overload your CLYNK bags with more than 20 pounds. You can mix plastic, glass, and aluminum and there is no limit of bags of bottles you can return each time using drop & go.
Thank you for supporting Kennebunk Land Trust.
Kennebunk Land Trust will host an opening celebration at the Wonder Brook Preserve
Kennebunk Land Trust will host an opening celebration at the Wonder Brook Preserve
Saturday, September 10th - 10:00 am to Noon
Join us for a short stroll or a great hike! Refreshments will be served. Volunteers will be on hand to introduce you to the "wonders" of this preserve.
Directions from Downtown Kennebunk
Heading northbound on Main Street veer right onto Summer St. (Rte. 35) at Town Hall, travel 0.5 miles on Summer St., turn left onto Plummer Lane just past the RR bridge, continue down Plummer Lane to the end to Wonder Brook Preserve.
Celebrate the Kennebunk Land Trust's Accomplishments
The Board of Directors of Kennebunk Land Trust invites you to attend a reception to celebrate the Trust's accomplishments on Wednesday, September 21st, at 5:00 pm
Featuring keynote speaker former Governor Angus King and catering by Destination Catering.
Your reply by September 12th will be greatly appreciated please call 985-8734 or e-mail adminkennbklt@gwi.net
2011 Day of Caring at Kennebunk Land Trust
When the Kennebunk Land Trust was founded in 1972, it was incorporated under the name Ramanascho Land Preservation Trust (RLPT) in honor of Ramanascho, a Sagamore woman who deeded much of the Kennebunk region to early settlers. The original logo design reflected the important role this noted Native American played in the early history of Kennebunk.
Over the past 38 years, the Trust has grown from ownership of two properties to overseeing the protection of 3,400 acres. KLT has evolved into a dynamic and comprehensive organization and community partner focused on meeting the land conservation needs of the Kennebunk/Arundel region.
Given the Trust’s growing responsibilities, the Board of Directors voted to adopt a new design for the KLT logo. The new design uses bold graphics and compelling imagery and color to represent the Trust’s expanded community role. The use of green and blue in the logo is representative of clean air and water, wildlife and vegetative habitat, farmland, and conserved land for recreational enjoyment.
We hope you’ll visit KLT preserves and enjoy what conserved land has to offer. As the Trust transitions to its new logo, keep an eye out for new signs featuring the design that will be springing up on Trust properties throughout Kennebunk and Arundel.
Eleventh Annual Dinner and Auction – Great Success!!!
Thank You for Another Success!
Again this year, Kennebunk Land Trust participated in United Way's Day of Caring, and for the eleventh year in a row we were joined by a very talented team of workers from Pratt & Whitney. On June 8th with bright, sunny skies overhead, 8 Pratt & Whitney employees and 1 youth volunteer associated with the Pratt team arrived ready to go. It was a very productive day!
A bridge was replaced and blow-downs removed at Butler Preserve, and several bog bridges were installed and additional trail clearing was completed at Wonder Brook Preserve. In addition, materials were moved and staged for bog bridge replacement at the Trust owned Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary.
We’re grateful to United Way York County for organizing the event, to Pratt & Whitney for corporate participation in this annual program, and to the following individuals for giving their talent and energy to benefit Kennebunk Land Trust: Tim Davis, Dave Derro, Rick Lachance, Brian McEwen, Gary Perschy, Neal Smith, Gary Stearns, Gordon Stearns and Manoj Vallam.
In addition to the above projects, a three-person team from Kennebunk Fish & Game installed six new preserve signs at KLT properties. Our thanks to Karen & Markus Gosselin-Diebolt and Chris Renaud for their generous help.
Kennebunk Land Trust Introduces New Look
When the Kennebunk Land Trust was founded in 1972, it was incorporated under the name Ramanascho Land Preservation Trust (RLPT) in honor of Ramanascho, a Sagamore woman who deeded much of the Kennebunk region to early settlers. The original logo design reflected the important role this noted Native American played in the early history of Kennebunk.
Over the past 38 years, the Trust has grown from ownership of two properties to overseeing the protection of 3,400 acres. KLT has evolved into a dynamic and comprehensive organization and community partner focused on meeting the land conservation needs of the Kennebunk/Arundel region.
Given the Trust’s growing responsibilities, the Board of Directors voted to adopt a new design for the KLT logo. The new design uses bold graphics and compelling imagery and color to represent the Trust’s expanded community role. The use of green and blue in the logo is representative of clean air and water, wildlife and vegetative habitat, farmland, and conserved land for recreational enjoyment.
We hope you’ll visit KLT preserves and enjoy what conserved land has to offer. As the Trust transitions to its new logo, keep an eye out for new signs featuring the design that will be springing up on Trust properties throughout Kennebunk and Arundel.
Gift from Tom's of Maine
Kennebunk Land Trust is very proud to announce the acquisition of a wonderful in-town parcel of land with exceptional river frontage and scenic vistas. This 38-acre property is a gift to the Trust from Tom's of Maine and Tom & Kate Chappell. Owners of the property since 1977, the Chappell's have long envisioned this special place open to the public for passive recreational enjoyment. The property comprises rich wetlands, forested areas and an exceptional and uninterrupted 2,438 feet of frontage along the Mousam River. With the Trust's approval, the Chappell's named the preserve The Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary.
Restrictions on the property prohibit motorized vehicles of any kind and hunting. Residents and visitors are invited to enjoy hiking, bird watching and cross-country skiing at this outstanding in-town forest. It's an ideal spot for a lunchtime stroll! As green spaces continue to disappear at a frightening pace, the Chappell's and Kennebunk Land Trust are delighted to work together to complete the protection of this very special treasure right in the center of downtown Kennebunk.
Access to the preserve is from the end of the Water Street on the left, just before the Sewer District entrance and just past the entry to Roger's Pond on the right. Kennebunk Land Trust and Tom and Kate Chappell encourage you to visit The Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary frequently and throughout the seasons. We invite you to explore the quiet, natural beauty that this preserve and Kennebunk have to offer.
Another Generous Gift
In late December of 2003, the Trust was fortunate to receive a gift of 54 acres of land just off Ross Road here in Kennebunk. In mid-autumn, Mr. Mark Lopez, of Honor & Mason, LLC contacted KLT and expressed his interest in donating this parcel of property. Over subsequent weeks, successful discussions were held between Mr. Lopez and KLT officials, and the property was visited and assessed by members of KLT’s Acquisition Committee. Upon completing their research, Committee members soon determined that the property was a fine fit for the Trust’s acquisition criteria. Also during this time, Mr. Lopez concluded that Kennebunk Land Trust was the organization he wished to gift the property.
Comprised primarily of forested wetlands, the preserve has several small streams, considerable sphagnum moss, and wetland-loving shrubs. A section of what is known to locals as Punky Swamp; this acreage has been logged in the past and now consists of pole stage, early successional forest. It is a haven of wildlife habitat and is host to moose, cottontail, grouse and many other bird species.
Later this spring, members of KLT’s Stewardship Committee will install KLT signage at the property and the access point on Ross Road will be identified for public access. Named The Punky Swamp Preserve, this property will be available for passive recreational activities such as hiking, birding and cross country skiing; no motorized vehicles are permitted.
The Kennebunk Land Trust thanks Mr. Mark Lopez and his associate Mr. Lawrence K. Kelley III for their generous gift of land and for their strong vote of confidence in KLT by choosing them as stewards in perpetuity. If you are interested in exploring conservation options for your property, we invite you to call the office at 985-8734 for more information.
Kennebunk Land Trust Receives Donation of Land
Since he was a child, John Bradford has found Tarwater Pond fascinating. His Dad first took him there as a boy deer hunting and John enjoyed hiking and exploring the area. John remembers, “...it always seemed incredibly wild and lonely and even then (almost 60 years ago) I recognized how special the emptiness and remoteness seemed.” John’s wife, Lorinda, fondly describes a special place where they camped together as “...quiet and beautiful.”
Thanks to John and Lorinda Bradford, 44 acres of land on Tarwater Pond in Lyman are now protected and will remain forever wild. Recognizing the substantial development pressures that exist in Southern Maine, both John and Lorinda felt they wanted to do something now to preserve this special piece of property and their fond memories. On the advice of a close friend who suggested the Kennebunk Land Trust might be a good resource with whom John could work to this end, John contacted KLT to discuss options for conserving the parcel. Because there is no land trust in Lyman, and when all considerations were made, John and Lorinda chose to make the parcel a gift to KLT.
The history of this land is interesting. Jellerson Road runs through this area and before John’s time it was lined with farms. In his youth, only cellar holes and a cemetery remained. With a look at a Geodetic Survey and government aerial photos, one can see that Tarwater Pond is the tail end remnant of a much larger lake named “The Heath,” presumably glacial, and now filled in, most likely with peat. Today what we observe is ledge and thin soil upland, and peat bog and swamp down toward the pond. Perhaps these conditions explain the abandonment of the farms many years ago. With the exception of this tract, the U.S. government owns all of the remaining land around the pond, and it is known as Massebesic Forest.
John’s father, Alfred S. Bradford, purchased the land from Frank Chappell, who liked to speculate in upcountry raw land. John’s Dad just liked to own upcountry raw land if it was pretty and wild and appealed to him. “He never wanted or intended to do anything with the tract; he just liked it to be there, undeveloped and empty, where nobody could put up No Trespassing signs or fill it with ‘progress.’”
The preservation of these 44 acres, contiguous with the already preserved Massebesic Forest, strongly supports the likelihood that established wildlife will continue to thrive. In keeping with the wishes of the Bradfords, the property will not be posted, it will remain forever wild, and it will be named to honor John’s deceased father, “The Alfred S. Bradford Memorial Tract.” The Kennebunk Land Trust is pleased and honored that the Bradfords chose to work with us.
KLT Makes Major Purchase
April 25th was a great day for Kennebunk Land Trust! Following nearly a year of effort and negotiation, KLT purchased a significant 93-acre parcel of property along the Mousam River. Adjacent to the Kennebunk Wildlife Management Preserve (locally known as The Blueberry Plains), this acquisition increases the protection of valuable wildlife habitat, and with nearly 2,400 feet of river frontage directly on the Mousam River it is invaluable in terms of water protection. The preservation of this parcel extends buffer area around the plains thus helping to ensure the continuation of important management practices.
The property was purchased from long-time residents Mike and Ruth Hickson, of Webber Hill Road. “Ruth and I felt that it was our responsibility to preserve a large undeveloped intact portion of land on the Mousam River - there’s over 2,000 feet on the Mousam River….” said Mike. “By doing so we protect the quality of life for our son, Sam, and the children raised today in Kennebunk.”
With development pressures as they are in York County, wildlife habitat is disappearing at an unforeseen rate. The opportunity to protect nearly 100 acres of diverse landscape including: vernal pools, upland forest, scrub oak and hardwood is uncommon. The acquisition of this preserve contributes in an important way to the protection of habitation for numerous bird species including: wood duck, blue heron, kingfisher, various warblers and thrush. Musk rat and beaver may be observed from the water's edge, and fox, coyote, deer and moose roam the property.
Kennebunk Land Trust is most appreciative of the opportunity to work with Mike and Ruth Hickson on the preservation of this valuable property.
KLT wish list
As a growing organization with a limited budget (relying heavily on the talents and generosity of its members and other interested parties), the Kennebunk Land Trust requires a wide variety of items that will help us better fulfill our mission. If you see something on this wish list that you would like to donate, please e-mail us or call our office at (207) 985-8734.
- laptop computer
- digital camera
- gravel for preserve entrances
